Magical Mystery Tour: CM Turner, New Albany, and Origin Park.

From 5th district councilman Josh Turner's monthly newsletter, this statement about Turner's support for Origin Park, which I recently described here: Beginnings: Origin Park plans are revealed.

A Southern Indiana "Origin" Story

An iconic park is coming to Southern Indiana and has been in the works for quite a while now. The master plan was released at the end of August and according to the News and Tribune "The plans for Origin Park include 35 acres of new park lawns, 22 miles of trails, 4.5 miles of "blueways" to paddle Silver Creek, seven new community gathering shelters and a new public event center. The park will also feature 75,000 new trees over 50 acres, 250 acres of a protected urban forest and 150 acres of naturalized meadows and an oak/hickory savanna."

I cannot be more excited about this opportunity for our great city. A park of this size will bring new life and new people into our region from all over the country. Unfortunately, the Mayor has not shown any interest in working with the River Heritage Conservancy to make this national treasure a reality in our city. We are actually the only city that has not bought into this plan. Jeffersonville and Clarksville are all in. You can see for yourself the New Albany portion of the Origin Park is on the River Side of the Flood wall and mostly on land that cannot be developed. We need everyone reaching out to your city officials to let them know how important this is. Our city should commit to this private/public partnership for two simple reasons.

1. The park will have continuity across the region and will be designed with respect to the natural lay of the land.

2. It will save the taxpayers money because a large portion of funding is coming from private donations.

I must admit I do not understand how we can commit to a trail all of the way to Bedford when we are not willing to commit to upholding our responsibilities here at home. It would be a shame for New Albany to be left behind on such a great project. Being a river city it should be a priority to develop our land in such a way that helps us connect with our neighboring communities.

Let's focus on this one section: "Unfortunately, the Mayor has not shown any interest in working with the River Heritage Conservancy to make this national treasure a reality in our city. We are actually the only city that has not bought into this plan. Jeffersonville and Clarksville are all in."

Can we find public evidence to support CM Turner's claim?

By extension, what exactly is the city of New Albany's position on Origin Park?

These are important questions of the sort that journalists might ask, correct?

Low standards in high places, or the way Democrats avoid talking about the excessive costs of Gahanism.

 

Yes, a strong case can be made that a public official pulling down $125k sans requisite qualifications, driving with expired tags and making excuses for impaired driving, probably should be held to a higher standard.

It must start at the top.

By all rights such standards should emanate from Mayor Jeff Gahan, but we all know they haven't. From the murky ethics of pay-to-play political patronage to nepotism, from board-packing to a steadfast refusal to hold his underlings accountable for their snark (TASER jokes, anyone?), Gahan has abdicated his responsibility to maintain high standards.

New Albanians have a chance to do better, and to restore ethical standards to City Hall. By voting for David White, who already has denounced nepotism and refused donations from the beneficiaries of pay-to-play patronage, we can begin the long overdue process draining the swamp and flushing the clique.

I have a question for my Democratic friends.

In your own personal world -- your life, not the lives of others -- do you believe the end justifies the means?

Do you believe it doesn't matter if people and principles are trampled, so long as you get what you want?

Do the rights and wrongs of the procurement process matter, or is to have and to hold the bright and shiny object enough for you?

How's it working out for you to become accustomed to cringing and looking the other way?

This primary season many of my friends will have cast their ballots for Gahan, a mayor who has consistently fudged, bullied and self-monetized his means in justification of his ends.

Friends having done so remain friends all the same, at least on my end. But I harbor the strong suspicion that many of these same voters don't sanction those means embodied by Gahan's political behavior when they pertain to the ends in their own private worlds.

I suppose they tolerate it from Gahan because the daily rationalizations borne of Democratic Party afiliation are all too easy: the "nice" things they choose to see look so good; all politicians are corrupt but he's on OUR team; we can always pay the bills some other time; or least convincing of all, "the Republicans are worse."

For two weeks I've been asking the following questions of Democrats. I'd ask them of Gahan himself, although as we know transparency and accessibility are the very least of his considerations -- and he routinely refuses to debate political opponents.

• So tell me, why does Gahan get a pass from you when he can't tell the truth about budgets, rate increases, taxes and TIF debt?
• Is saying "things look good" satisfactory without asking how they got that way?
• Have you noticed that every street grid "improvement" hailed as a victory for walkability actually enhances car-centrism? 
• Why does one man need $450,000 in campaign donations?
• Does it bother you that donors receive no-bid contracts and sinecures, like magic?
• What is there in the Democratic Party platform that encourages "luxury" development to the exclusion of public/affordable housing occupants?
• Is it a healthy civic trend for mayors to bully and harass city employees whose only offense is to opt out from loving him? 
• Isn't the "silo" approach of all decisionmaking emanating from a tiny clique at the top of a pyramid ultimately injurious to our city's success?
• Isn't Gahan's personality cult akin to self-deification, and can this ever be a sign of stable mental health?

The only substantive comment I've received in return came from an Independent/Libertarian, which of course I appreciate. It would be nice to hear a die-hard Democrat answer the preceding questions, and the fact of their general refusal tells us quite a lot, doesn't it?

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Democratic mayoral candidate David White understands that change begins with a whole lotta scrubbing, and NA Confidential advocates just such a deep civic cleansing. 

After eight years on the job, Mayor Jeff Gahan's list of stunning "achievements" is long, indeed: tax increases, budgetary hide 'n' seek, self-deification, daily hypocrisy, public housing takeover, non-transparency, pay-to-play for no-bid contracts, bullying city residents and bullying city employees. Eight years is enough. It's time to drain Gahan's swamp, flush his ruling clique and take this city back from Gahan's Indy-based special interest donors. 

NA Confidential supports David White for Mayor in the Democratic Party primary, with voting now through May 7. 

Shopping cart blurbs, magazine ads, billboards ... and now the NTSPY Awards. How much of your money is Jeff Gahan spending on all this?

Proving that appetite suppression is the healthiest diet of all, we established earlier today that Jeff Gahan's boundless cult of personality has embraced selected grocery chains.

Scraping rock bottom: Jeff Gahan brings his cult of personality to Kroger shopping carts. But who paid for these political ads?

The question was intended to be rhetorical, and the answer is obvious: If you're a New Albany resident, you're paying for it.

You're paying for Gahan's belief that he's a rock star politician. As regular reader MC soon pointed out, you're also paying for other examples of Gahan's incessant personality cult expansion.

Just saw full page inside cover in Extol magazine with his pic. What legitimate reason is there for that? They are all over. It's blatant political advertising and the public is paying for it. The man has no shame.

Neither does the Democratic Party.

Here's another ad, this one in the News and Tribune's business magazine.

We've often noted that the city of New Albany is a big advertiser in the News and Tribune, with neither party willing to cease their mutual back rubs long enough to discuss publicly the extent of expenditures.

This topic resurfaces whenever the newspaper fails to ask hard questions of Gahan's municipal government ... or, several times weekly.

Have we mentioned that the newspaper hosts a high school sports award program?

2017 NTSPY Awards

The News and Tribune invites you to attend the Fourth Annual News and Tribune Sports Performance Yearly Awards. Join us in recognizing the accomplishments of the top male and female athletes from 12 Clark and Floyd county high schools.

Family and guests are invited to join free of charge this year thanks to the generosity of our sponsors.

You've probably already guessed the primary sponsor.

Do you live in New Albany? You're paying for this, too, though at least Gahan's mug isn't pasted where the anchor resides, sinking ever further into the muck of an Ohio River flood plain.

In another startling coincidence, and just like cooking school before it, the NTSPY Award show is held at Eastside Christian, where publisher Bill Hanson is an elder ...

... and one of his columnists used to be a minister.

Maybe this explains why there still is no atheism column. Jeeebus knows, we've tried.

Unless you're a subscriber, you're not paying for Hanson's choice of columnist. However, you're still paying when the newspaper doesn't dare disturb the serenity of public officials who've grasped the utility of using your money to pay for political advertising disguised as public service announcements and/or philanthropy.

You see, the newspaper doesn't question any of it.

But the newspaper's purpose is to ask these questions, right?

And when it won't?

That's the real problem, isn't it?

---

As an addendum, NAC has been unable to confirm whether New Albany Mayor Jeff M. Gahan or anyone working in the city's administration is under federal investigation or indictment for corruption, bribery or racketeering. It is standard policy of the U.S. Justice Department to refuse to confirm or deny the existence or non-existence of investigations or subjects of investigations. A similar policy exists at the F.B.I.

He's melting: If the newspapers won't ask David Duggins hard questions, maybe a bucket of water is the answer.

In these two articles by the News and Tribune's Danielle Grady, there are so many questions to be asked, and so few questions actually asked.

Are they ever asked? I really want to know. If I can think of these questions (and others) while reading, then ...

Industrial development growing in New Albany

FireKing Security Group to be first tenant in Industrial Park West

... David Duggins, New Albany’s director of economic development and redevelopment, said that three years isn’t that long of a time to search for a tenant — a good one, at least.

Is there any evidence for this assertion, or perhaps a corresponding example?

Did the city show property to five potential tenants in three years out of taste and discernment, or because its development hand is so exceedingly weak?

The Carlisle Family was attracted to the Industrial Park partly because of the tax abatements the city offered them. They city approved one abatement for the $6.5 million the Carlisle Family is investing into its new building, while also approving a tax abatement for the $2.2 million worth of manufacturing and IT equipment FireKing is investing into the new location.

Lots and lots of boilerplate tax abatements. The city is adept at giving away money to bigger companies. What sort of programs exist to "assist" smaller start-ups?

“We think that once FireKing gets built up, it’ll really help spur more development because if you don’t know it’s there, you really don’t know it’s there,” he said.

Was that Duggins speaking, or the late Yogi Berra?

Finally, how does the headline "industrial development growing" jibe with the article's conclusion: "Grant Line Industrial Park West might be one of the last frontiers for industry in the city. New Albany is almost out of industrial space, said Duggins."

Let's move on to a second collection of unchallenged smoke-blowing, this time on site at The Break Wind Lofts at Duggins Flats ... and waiter, may I have another plaque?

With cream on top?

The Breakwater apartment complex in New Albany starts accepting tenants

First building opens in mid-December

... The city of New Albany has been happy with how The Breakwater has been coming along — especially regarding the types of tenants it is attracting.

“We want people to live in downtown that are excited to be in downtown,” said David Duggins, New Albany’s director of economic development and redevelopment.

And the apartment complex just looks nice, Duggins said.

“When you go out there, it’s cool, and I think that’s hard to accomplish sometimes,” he said.

So many questions.

How cool are the sewer tap-in waivers and other public subsidies enabling a private for-profit enterprise to be given its special leg-up?

Given these subsidies, isn't the city also subsidizing future retail occupants of the old Coyle building, these being subsidies unavailable to other small business owners?

Duggins has denied two-way streets ever came up during these subsidy negotiations, but at least one Flaherty Collins employee has indicated otherwise.

Which is it? Because if this did in fact arise, and if assurances were made by the city to this effect, then every subsequent protest of "two-way streets aren't a done deal" was a lie (yeah, Irv -- you can use that).

But wait -- it's cool, dude.

After all, Duggins isn't so much a director of economic development as a style arbiter. He's Gianni Versace, reincarnated, and Jeff Gahan believes it.

If that doesn't terrify you, nothing will.

What city is this, anyway?

Quality of life as an aquatic assumption? City council hones rubber stamp.

Shouldn't Dan Coffey be maddeningly concerned that Mars, Jupiter or other gender indeterminate androids might try to use the aquatic center?

Don't swimming pools have rights, too?

Meanwhile, if excessive expenditure is inevitable, we might as well lie back and enjoy it. From the very start of this headlong rush to spend millions on recreation, my criticism has been simpler than that of my friend Sam Schad (below).

Can anyone explain precisely why an aquatics center is a "no brainer" insofar as "quality of life" issues are concerned? 

Councilman Blair, you go first. Take your time -- well, at least until 7:30 p.m.

This assumption has been voiced dozens of times, as though the frequency and volume of the phrase's repetition alone suffices as a buttressing rationale. Sorry, but it doesn't.

If quality of life issues are paramount, what was the process leading to an aquatic center ranking first on the list?

Might other strategic expenditures of millions across the city as a whole contribute to overall quality of life as much or more so than one solitary, isolated facility?

Why this project and not others?

Hell, it's okay. I'm accustomed to my questions being unanswered. That's why I drink to excess even as the Tricentennial of 2113 looms just over that horizon. It should be an entertaining gathering this evening; in addition to the rubber stamping of aquatics, there'll be a bicentennial commission awdit resolution, complete with consummate CeeSaw caterwauling.

If I'm lucky, I won't remember any of it.

New Albany swimming pool plan is drawing criticism; Advocates want 50-meter lap option and year-round training, by Grace Schneider (C-J)

As New Albany Mayor Jeff Gahan and his administration edge closer to building a new aquatic center, criticism is ramping up from competitive swimming advocates who insist that the plans lack a crucial element — a 50-meter lap pool.

They also want a facility that can be covered to allow for year-round training, swim lessons and competitive team practices.

On Thursday night, the City Council is expected to review and vote on revised plans for the proposed $8 million to $9 million aquatic center, which the city intends to build on the former Camille Wright pool property in the 200 block of West Daisy Lane.

Several critics, led by New Albany lawyer Sam Schad, are expected to attend the meeting to push their point. Schad wrote a letter Monday asking Gahan to delay asking for a council vote, asserting that the city should build a pool that allows for year-round access for a broad cross section of the community.

Schad provided the names of more than 300 residents from New Albany, Floyd County and nearby communities who agree with his assertion that the city’s design is flawed.

Ah, but where do those petition signers actually live?

New Albany council to vote on aquatic center plans Thursday; Splash park added to park plan at Hoosier Panel site, by Daniel Suddeath (N and T)

 ... Beyond the debate over whether a bond should have been approved to fund the projects, there have been other concerns raised by officials and members of the community about the projects.

New Albany resident Sam Schad submitted a letter to Mayor Jeff Gahan and local media outlets protesting the aquatic center.

It included a petition with 302 signatures from people Schad said desired a more “robust” facility that would provide full-year access to a 50-meter pool.

“Given the design resources at our disposal, it seems senseless that no one is asking one simple question: How can we build a facility that could be used by the broadest spectrum of our community all year long,” Schad wrote in the letter.

Many of the names on the petition were credited to locations outside of New Albany, and some were from outside of Floyd County.

Community Park, North Annex, development and the fog of political obfuscation.

OSIN's Chris Morris braves the eternal glower of the county council's prez-for-life to report this story:

No decision yet on North Annex future; NA-FC Parks Department wants Community Park to remain intact

... Ted Heavrin, president of the county council, said no decision has been made about the property’s future. He said the layout of the area will limit development.

“You can’t build under power lines ... they should know that,” Heavrin said of the parks board.

Heavrin said before anything is decided, all parties involved will have a meeting.

Sound familiar? That's because we were discussing it on July 15: Is Floyd County seeking to develop up to 18 acres of Community Park? The discussion rather prematurely ended with this comment from Jeff Gillenwater.

I appreciate your time, Don (Lopp), but that really doesn't answer my question. You mentioned that the original thought was to make 4-6 acres available but that preservationists requested an expansion to 18 acres.

Why? What is someone going to do with 18 acres that they couldn't do with 4-6? Is there an entity proposing something specific that requires more land? What thinking led to the expanded offering?

Given their abysmal communication record lately, it would be helpful for the public to know what's happening on the preservation front *before* any governmental commitments are made.

So, what's really happening? Give that wheel a spin, will ya?